Carton filling machine



Feb-11, 1947. un, PEEBLES ETAL 2,415,528

CARTON FILLING MACHINE F1144 Nov. 2, 1942 4 shetssnet 1 FILE-:L

Feb 11,1941'.r

D. D. PEEBLES Erm. I 2,415,528

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@we W A@ ATTQBNEY Patented Feb. 11,1947" '2,415,528 CARTONFILLING MACHINE David D. Peebles', Hillshorough and Guy P. Hensley, San Francisco, Calif., assignors to Golden State Company, Ltd., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application November 2,1942, serial No. 464,236

This invention relates generally to apparatusv and methods for filling cartons or containers with various powdered products.

a claims. v(ci. 22o-'12,).

It is an object of the inventionto provideuan improved apparatus and method of the above character which is particularly` adapted to the handling of powders which do not readily flow or pour, Aas for example powdered milk products.

Another object of. the invention is. to provide a. carton filling apparatus and method which makespossible substantially complete filling of cartons with measured quantities of powder, and which is particularly applicable to cartons of the type having an offset opening in their upper ends.

Another object of the invention isto provide a novel means and method for applying jarring forces to the carton being filled, whereby the body of. the powder within the carton is repeatedly shifted laterally to insure complete filling.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide improved meansV in a machine of the above character for holding and retaining `the cartons while they are being filled, and for releasing-:them to permit their removal at an unloading position.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for feeding a measured quantity of powder to the carton, the feeding means Abeing characterized particularly by its ability to handle materials like whole milk powder, and-by the substantial absence of any carry-over of powder from one filling operation to the next.

Further objects of the invention will appear A from the following description in which the preferred embodiment has been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings z.

Figure 1 isa side-elevational view, partly in cross-section, illustrating a machine incorporating the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail showing' a portion ofthe operating parts include thev carton holdingfdee- I' vvices I3, and the powder feeding devices I4. l'I he 2 l engaged position with respect to the upper end of the carton. y

Figs. 'l and 8 are diagrammatic views showing the carton lling operations.

The machine as illustrated in the drawings consists generally of the base I0, together with a frame including the supporting structures I I and the 'upper horizontalirame I2. In general the machine is shown being driven by the electric motor I6, which connects with parts to be presently described. The path of movement of the carton-holding devices is circular, and as. shown in Figure 3y these devices in their movement pass through the unloading and loading zone A, while ally from the centraiaxis' of the carton, and

during the remaining movement the cartons are. being'illed.

The machinein this instance is adapted to the handling of pasteboard cartons which are square or rectangular in transverse cross-section, and

which are lled through an opening in the top wall. Such a carton I8 is shown in dotted lines in Figures 5 and 6, and it will be noted that the llingopening I9 in this instance is odset latertoward one vertical corner, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Also the opening I9 is relatively small in the marketing of Lfood products like powdered :I

cross-sectional: area, compared to the area of' the top wall- 2 I Cartons of this type are desirable in Y" milk, because of the ease with which' the contents machine in side elevation, and illustrating particularly movement of the carton-holding or supporting devices through unloading and loadin positions. i

Figure 3 is a plan view of the machine as shown in Figure 1, with certain portions being broken away. l

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view .of the powder feeding device.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in side elevation, taken along the line 5-5 .of Figy ure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail showing the lower end of the filling spout in can'be poured'.from the carton by the consumer.

The holder I3 has been made to receive a carton I8 of the type described above. Thus the holdingdevice includes the bottom platform 22 upon which the carton rests, and which carries the upright walls 23 ranged at right angles to each other. A top 24 is attached to the upper ends of walls 23 and is provided with an opening 26, surrounded by the flared ring 21. When a lcarton as described is placed within this holding device, in the manner illustrated in Figure 5, the

carton opening I9 is in registry with the'opening For the rotation of the holding device I3, .the

Jmachine is-provided with a vertical shaft 2,8, to which is secured the rotating spider or Wheel 29.

AA plurality of arms 3l extend radially from wheel, 29, and have their outer ends secured to-the holding devices I3, as shown in Figure 5. The inner y ends of arm-s 3| havepivotal connections 32 with the periphery of wheel 29, so thatarms 3| together with the holding devices I3 can swing in vertical planes. The level of pivotal connections --loading and loading zone.

' '32 is well below -the center of the cartons I8, when these cartons are applied to the holding devices I3. V Shaft 28 is driven at a desired rate by motor I8, which is connected to shaft 28 through the belt 34, gear box 35, worm 86, and the worm gear '31 attached to shaft 28.

The carton holders are carried by Atracking means including the circular track bar or rail 4I which isY rigidly attached to the machine bysuitable structural members. Each of theholding devices has a roller 42 carried Vbelow the bottom wall 22 (Figure 5) and this 1 roher is adapted to engage the'upper edge ofthe Y rail 4I. A minor segmental portion of the rail is interrupted as shown in Figure 2, and is bridged across by rail portion IIa, the latter having its upper edge at a lower level than the main rail 4I. The sloped ends 4Ib of the main bar portion 4| facilitate movement or the rollers-42 Vdown upon the upper edge of rail 4Ia, and then back to the main rail 4I, as illustrated in Figure 2. This has the effect of droppingk the' vlevel of the cartonholdingdevices I3 as shown inFigurefZ, While' they pass zone.

'I'he mechanism through` the unloading and loading for applying*jarringv forces is arrangedysoj thatjarring is discontinuedwhile the holding devices pass throughthe unloadingand loading zone. The i anismlillustrated consists of a plurality of lcarn-V partic'ulartyp'e of mechmingrlevers 48,- which` have pivotal connections 41 with the outer ends-of arms48. Arms VV48 in" turn'lare attached' toand extend radially fromj the spider or wheel48, and whichl'is secured to the hollow shaft I. Y driven-in a direction oppositer to that of wheel 28, by'V drive vmechanism which in this instance includes belt 482, countershaft 53; belt 54, Vand pulley 58', worm 51, andworm gear 58 upon shaft 5I. rAs the camming levers 48 rotate, their upper inclined edges engage thejrollers `t2, thus causing thewholdingLdevices I 8 to `,be periodically raised' As each holdingdevice is dropped its roller 42strikes the upper edge of Vbar'4l` thus and dropped.

causing the'holding device by the same, tobe jarred.

Camming ,levers 46 are retained in their operand the :carton held ating positions'by Ythe"circular track bar or `rail 8|, which is likewise rigidly attached to themachine frame. Each of the levers carries a roller 62,'engaging the upper edge of 'rail iii.` Rail 6I is likewise interrupted'as shown in Figure 2, and the gap vbetweenthe endsis 'bridged by the lower railer 6 Ia. This causes lthe levers '48jV to to horizontal or out-of-the way position torprevshaft 45| and wheel 49amframe f of the Yis ` a2 through which surface of base 66. Preferably the clearance between the periphery of disc 66 and the adjacent walls ofthe shell E9, and also the clearance between the edges of vane` 16, the shell, and the adjacent surfaces of base 66, are relatively small to avoid accumulations of powder. As will be presentlyexplained means is provided for rotating thesprocket 12 during a filling operation.

The shell 69 varies from cylindrical shapeto the extent that on its inner side it is provided with the connecting inset walls 'I8 and 18. The lower edge 8| of wall 18 stops short of the upper surface 1ofdisc 14, thus affording a vertical gap powder is fed from the bin. The lower. edge of wall 19 terminates in close proximity with the upper surface of disc 14.V Immediately above the disc 14 there is 'an agitator 83 in the form of a curved spring wire. This wire has an'eye 83a atits inner end 'adapted' to be loosely/'engaged over a pin 84, carried eccentricallyuponthe. upper'face of disc 14. The wire is also bentto provide a radial portion 83h extending outwardly from the eye 83a, an'arcuate portion-83o which stops short of extending 360,

and an upturned free end portion 83d. When this agitatoris positioned upon the disc witheye 83a engaged with pin 84, the outer end of portion 831: is'inclose proximity with the adjacent face of wall'18,- while the upturned end portion 83d' extends vertically across the gap 82, and is adapted to slidabiy engage the adjacent inner surface of fwall 18. The eccentricity of pin 84 is suchthat rwhen the disc 14'is rotated by the turning of sprocket 12,'- the agitator is gyrated and caused to sweep repeatedly across the upper surface of the disc, and the upturned end portion 83d is redrop down vent raising and lowering of the "carton-holding devices Y' as the latter progressthroughjthe un--l Each of the feeding devices I4 is ldesigI-ieci receive a predetermined quantity of powder', and to feed thispowder Latsl relativelyuniform rate to the carton. Also it, ispreferably adapted to minimize the carry-over of powder from one op? eration to the next, thus making th'elling of the cartons more `precise,i' and Vminimizing contamination by vexposure of powder to the atmospherefor a considerable period of vtime. As

currently reciprocated across the gap 82 to prevvent blocking. In order topennit powder fed through gap 82 to fall clear, the base is cut away on a suitableoutline,v as for example as shown' Beneath each of the feed devices I4 there is 'a 4hopper or spout 81 for the purpose of directing powder into the-carton. In the arrangement illustrated each spout is capable of a limited movement tol'accommodate the motion applied to the cartonholding device, and to releasably engage the carton during the filling period. Thus the sides of each spout are provided with studs 88 which loosely engage'in grooved retaining members 89 attached to arms'Bl. Light wire springs 9|,which are anchored at 92 to the arms 61, en-

gage the studs 88 in order to yieldably urge the spout downwardly. The lower reduced end por- 'tion 481a of the spout fits loosely within the flared ring 21; and is dimensioned so that it may enter the carton opening I9. The dimensioning of the shown in Figures 4 and 5, this device consists of abas Aiiwliiclfi is' g`enerally'circular in contour as viewedin plan, and

which' is attached to the radiallyjextending arms 6'I ,`and ring 65. These arms and ring in nturn are carried by the spider plate 68, which isxe'd to and rotates with the shaft 28. Carried by the base 66 there is a cylinv drical"shaped'shell89, which together with the;

' holder is lowered for passing v loading and loading zone, the lower end of the parts is such that when an associated carton through the unspout 81 is retracted with' respect to the carton, 1 as shown in Figure 5. However, when the carton holderis elevated by engagement with the to enter the opening I9, as shown in Figure 6,

rail or bar 4 I, the lower end of the spout is caused able to provide the lower end portion 81a .of the spout with an annularbead 96,.thus' facilitating relative cocking between the spout and the associated holder to accommodate the raising and dropping movement during filling.

In order to rotate the sprocket 12- during thel filling-period, we provide a ,curved bar 9,'| (Fig ures land 3) having its ends attached tothe stationary upright members 98. A sprocket chain' 99 extends about the upper portion vof vthe machine, and has its ends attached to tension springs IDI, which in turn` are anchoredat |02 to the bar 91. Assuming that the carton holders are rotating in a counterclockwise direction asviewedv in Figure 3, as a particular sprocket approaches the chain 99 the ,sprocket teeth engage the-chain to rotate thesprocket and its associated feed ldisc T4. The powder discharged from the bin dropsr into the spout 81, and iowsinto the carton Abeing lled.

Operation of the machine, and the carrying out of the present methodican be outlined as follows: A suitable automatic measuring or weighing device is utilizedin conjunction with the machine for supplying correctly measured quantities of v powder and for delivering these measured quantities successively to the bins. A bin receives its measured amount of powder immediately as the associated carton holder passes beyond the unloading and loading zone A. i

It will be Dresumed'that'an operator is Stande ing in the proximity of the unloading and loading zone A, for the purpose of removing filled cartons as 'they enter this zone', and tointroduce cartons for lling. The inclination of a cartonholder is sufficient to retain ya carton 'in place, without the necessity of manual retention until the holder has left the loading zoneand has entered the filling zone. As the holder leaves'the loading zone it is elevated to substantially vertical position, and at the same time as previously described the lower end of spout 81 enters the opening I9,

ananas 6 Figure 8 shows Athe saine carton after it has been dropped, and immediately after it has struck the rail 4I.l In Figure the incoming powder is shown piling up somewhat, in a region below the opening I9. Figure 8 shows that due to the-jarring action there hasbeen a lateralshiftingcr 4 redistribution of thepowder within the-carton,

associatedY arm 3l. thereis recurrent shifting of the massofpowder so that this piling up of powder no longer exists. IThis lateral shifting of the powder is caused by the outward swinging motion of .the carton asfit drops to`the point of receiving ajar, and-i` which in turn results in the -fact that the carton holder swings about the pivotal connection y32 ofthe As a result ofthisgaction within the carton, up until the carton lis com-f; pletely filled, and this insuresiilling thatcorner. of the carton near the top walland farthest from: the opening l 9. In addition to securing a lateralf shifting of thebody-of powder withinfthe car-ton, the jarring vaction also-causes somesettlngxof the powder, which in turn aids in securirig-,arin- 4V ished. product which is substantially completely;`

filled withpowdeix Weclaim; l. In 'apparatus for the filling of 'cartonsgor containers with powder, a holding deviceiadapted;

to receive a carton to befilled, a member adapted' to be rotated upon avertical axisatfapre-deter-'f mined speed. an arm pivotally attached tdsaid member andY extending radially fr or-nythe samen the outer. end Vof-saidarm beingflxedftosaidholding device, vtracking vmeans serving-itc carry, said supporting device as the same rriovesginfia.l

lcircular path, an arcuate portion .of said tracking means-'forming an unloading and loading zone where cartons can be applied to the holding devicefandwhere lfilled cartons .can be removedfthe remaining arcuate Yportion of the tracking v means constituting a filling zone, means for supplying ay Y t stream `of powder to the carton beingcarried to lock the carton in place. Now Ias the holder progresses through the lling period togetherr with its associated feed device and hopper, itis repeatedly raised and dropped with a jarring action, while at the same time theieed device causes a substantially continuous stream of powder to be delivered into the carton. By the time the carton has progressed to ther end of the filling period, all of the powder will have been dis-v charged from the powder bin and the carton will pletely lill the carton, due to a tendency of the powder to pile up immediately below the opening. In the present instance the jarring action and the motion applied to the container for jarring, overcomes this difficulty by causing a lateral shifting of the mass of powder within the carton. This action can be best understood by reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 shows a carton in an elevated position immediately before it is dropped.

bythe holding device as the holding device passes through said filling zone, means for recurrently raising anddropping the supporting devices as the-sarne moves through said lling zone, and a structure forming a part of said tracking means an'd providing a rigid abutment against which the holding devices are adapted to strikewhen dropped'to jar the same, the pivotal connection of s aid arm to said rotatable member being on a level substantially below the level of the center of the carton when applied to the supporting device, whereby the center of the container swings downwardly and outwardly while being dropped from its uppermost position to impact said structure.-

2. In apparatus vfor the filling of cartons or containers with powder, a member rotatable upon a vertical axis, a plurality of arms pivotally connected to said member and extending outwardly in a general radial direction, carton holding devices attached to the outer ends of said arms, a circular supporting rail for the container-supporting devices, means for feeding a stream of powder to containers carried by the holding devices, as the devices move over the rail in a circular path, and means for'recurrently raising and dropping the devices to impact the rail, said last means comprising a plurality of camming levers of the circular path of the holding devices and the upper face of the der, a pin carried by for lowering-the same to an inoperative position for the remaining portion of its circular path.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 inwhich the means for` moving the camming levers between operative and inoperative positions includes a secondary circular track or. rail supporting the movable ends of l.the camming levers, one segmentalportion of the secondary rail being ata' level to retain the camming levers in their oper- I ative position',v and'another segmental'iportion being at a lowe!` level permit the camming levers to drop to inoperative positions. i Y 4. In a carton filling apparatus,v a carton holding device adapted'to move through a lling zone, and a feeding device for'supplying a stream oi."

powder to the carton, said feeding device including a powder bin having a lower base,` a rotatable feeding disc disposed upon the base, lone wall oi' the bin having a slot extending upwardly from `the upper face of the disc for discharge of powder, and an agitatoreccentrically connected to i f. the disc and having a portion reciprocating across said slot.' i y 5. In a carton filling apparatus, a carton holding device adapted to move through a illling zone, and a feeding device i'or supplying a stream of powder to the carton, said feeding device including a powder bin having a lower base, a rotatable feeding'disc disposed upon the base one wall of the `Isin having a slot extending upwardly from disc for discharge of powthe upper tace of the disc and eccentric with respect to" the same', and an diately above the disc, the agitator-comprising a yspring wire having afportilfn; extending in a general radial direction trom the pin, a curved portion extending for more than 180 and less than 360, and an upturned end portion disposed adjacent said slot.

6. In apparatus for the filling of cartons `or of said devices 2liA agitator engaging said Ypin-and disposed immev35 8 containers with powder, a plurality o! holding devices each adapted to receive a carton, means for continuously moving the devices along a predetermined path through a loading zone in which cartons can be applied to the devices and a iilling zone in which the cartons receive powder, each being capable of raising and lowering movement, the lowering movement being in a non-vertical direction with a horizontal component toward one side, means for supplying a stream of powder to each carton while the carton passes through said filling zone, said means serving to deposit the powder to one side oi' the central axis of the carton, means for recurrently raising and dropping the holding devices as the.

side.

' DAVID D. PEEBLES.

GUY P. HENSLEY.

x REFERENCES CITED v The following references are of record in the -fiile offthis patent: 3o r y sTATEs PATENTS Number Name D ate 1,949,536 Ferguson Mar. 6, 1934 1,943,013 Gangler Jan. 9, 1934 2,010,220 Y Cocks f l.; Aug. 6, 1935 2,303A .-22 Chapman f Dec. 1, 1942 Kellett' May 7. 1935 V'GTI-Ima REFERENCES Ex parte Whitelaw, 219 O. G. 1237i 

